Wind power usually seems to play the wallflower in the renewable energy world where most of the attention is focused on solar. But two new DOE reports say the U.S. is a global leader in wind energy, ranking second in installed capacity in the world.

Australia and Europe have far more energy than they need. In Australia, it’s a matter of economics and reduced demand. In Europe, renewable energy subsidies led to the oversupply. Click to learn what the fallout will be as both regions respond to their energy gluts.

Read this week’s smart grid wins roundup to learn about new projects and developments for a variety of smart grid and smart water companies. Also, don’t miss the news about the proposed merger between Exelon Corporation and Pepco Holdings.

The migration to mobile is evident in almost every industry. But at a time when people buy clothes, check bank statements or make reservations by phone, the U.S. electric power industry seems to be far behind. There are stunning exceptions of course but many, many utilities seriously lag in their adoption of digital technologies. A new report from Booz Allen offers some suggestions for how they can catch up.

Critics routinely skewer Germany’s aggressive adoption of renewables, citing high power costs and grid instability as the inevitable results. But there are those who contend the country’s grid is more reliable because of renewables integration. Click to read what they’re saying and why.

Most utilities have customer engagement programs of some kind by now. But are they doing enough, doing it right? Guest author Martin Milani explains why a comprehensive strategy that cost-effectively engages customers across all touch points and programs is far better than stand-alone solutions. And he shares proven approaches for ensuring meaningful engagement.

The northeast region of the country is undergoing major changes that include rapid adoption of distributed generation, electric vehicles, smart buildings and more. Plus demands from regulators and ratepayers for a more resilient and dependable grid. Read the story for a look at the New England Clean Energy Council’s vision of the electricity future.

The U.S. transmission network is old. More than half of the country’s high voltage transmission lines have been in service for 25 years or longer. However, there are several new technologies that could help correct its inadequacies and enable it to meet 21st century demands. Click to learn about them.

Solar may seem like a threat utilities don’t really need to worry about quite yet, if ever in areas that don’t get a lot of sun and costs are high. But recent developments in the solar and energy storage industries could mean the time when today’s utility customers start generating their own power is coming soon.

The city of Boulder is finding out that divorcing electric service provider Xcel could become a lot harder than anticipated. While no one expected the city’s effort to set up its own municipal electric utility would be carefree and painless, escalating costs alone could be a make or break obstacle.

FERC told a Senate subcommittee last week that EPA’s Clean Power Plan wouldn’t harm the reliability of the transmission grid. But it turns out comments from FERC commissioners left room for interpretation. Click to learn about two different points of view.

One smart way utilities can prepare for inevitable changes ahead is to significantly upgrade their day-to-day operations. And a smart way to do that is with a business workflow solution. Learn how to pick the right one with our new (free) infographic.

Utilities have sought to expand digital migration, the movement of customer interactions away from traditional channels and into the digital space. Booz Allen has identified three areas of strategy to help utilities originate and expand their digital portfolios, attract customers to these digital offerings, and improve each interaction.

Drawing on NECEC’s work on the Massachusetts Grid Modernization Steering Committee and other grid modernization efforts in the Northeast, this paper examines the benefits of grid modernization and a 21st century electricity system and the policy and regulatory framework needed to advance them.

Con Edison has worked to beef up its overhead power delivery system to ensure that outage numbers are down and that fewer customers are affected. The utility says its $1 billion investment has been more than worth it considering the results.

This week’s collection of smart grid project and development news is a good example of how global the smart grid initiative really is. Read about EnerNOC’s Switzerland project, ABB’s transmission win in the UK, Cyan’s partnership to open up the Sub-Saharan African market and more stories.

A new survey from GE’s Digital Energy business says millions of Americans are so concerned and frustrated with power outages they would pay more on their monthly power bill if it would ensure a more reliable grid. Click for details and other highlights from GE’s Grid Resilience Survey.